Pouch manufacture and uses

ABSTRACT

A vacuum-assisted process for making a fluid-containing water-soluble pouch. The pouches obtained according to the process of the invention have a reduce air content. The use of the pouches containing detergent composition for laundry and dishwashing is also disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.provisional patent application serial No. 60/417,100 filed Oct. 9, 2002.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention is in the field of pouch manufacture, inparticular it relates to fluid-containing water-soluble pouches andtheir use for detergency applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The use of water-soluble pouches for different applications,especially for cleaning applications, has become increasingly popular.Among many other advantages pouches avoid the contact of the user withthe cleaning composition which may contain bleach and/or other irritantsubstances.

[0004] Often the geometry and size of the pouch is determined by itsapplication, for example in the case of pouches for use in automaticdishwashing machines, the geometry and size of the pouch may bedetermined among other things by the shape of the detergent dispensercompartment.

[0005] One of the most efficient ways of producing pouches is using ahorizontal-forming process. One of the drawbacks of pouches madeaccording to this process, especially fluid-containing pouches, is thatthe pouch inevitably contains certain amount of air. This air takes partof the space that otherwise would be occupied by active fluid. Theproblem is more acute in the case of shallow pouches, i.e., pouches withlarge base to height ratio and in the case of pouches sealed by heatsealing. In view of this discussion, there is the need of minimizing theamount of air entrained in horizontal-formed fluid-containing pouches,especially in shallow heat sealed pouches.

[0006] The heat-sealing process requires maintenance of the sealing areain a dry condition. Contamination of the sealing area can translate intoa weak sealing. Therefore, a requirement during the sealing process isto maintain the fluid level in the open pouch at a certain distancebelow the sealing area of the pouch. This requirement gives rise topouches having a considerable volume occupied by air as compared withthe volume occupied by active fluid. As discussed above, this phenomenonis more acute in case of shallow pouches.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Applicants have now found that the volume of air contained in afluid-containing pouch of a given shape can be reduced by making thepouch by means of a vacuum-assisted process in a mould comprising acavity and flange, wherein the effective fluid surface area during thepouch making process is smaller than the area of the region defined bythe sealing lines during the pouch making process. The desired finalshape of the pouch can be achieved by controlling the size of the areacreated by the sealing lines and the strechability of the film material.

[0008] Thus according to the first aspect of the invention, there isprovided a vacuum-assisted process for making a fluid-containingwater-soluble pouch comprising the steps of:

[0009] a) placing a first sheet of elastic film material over ahorizontal mould comprising a cavity and a flange;

[0010] b) drawing the film material into the cavity with vacuumassistance while maintaining the film under tension to form an openpouch;

[0011] c) filling the open pouch with a volume of fluid to define aneffective fluid surface area A_(f);

[0012] d) closing and sealing the open pouch with a second sheet of filmmaterial along one or more sealing lines, the region bounded by thesealing lines having an area A_(s); and

[0013] e) releasing the vacuum applied to the pouch;

[0014] and wherein the volume of fluid relative to that of the cavityand the position of the sealing lines relative to the flange are suchthat A_(f) and A_(s) are in a ratio of from about 1:1.2 to about 1:5,preferably from about 1:1.6 to about 1:4 and more preferably from about1:1.8 to about 1:3.

[0015] The process of the invention requires the assistance of vacuumfor drawing the film into the mould and stretching the film. The drawingof the film can be additionally helped by heating of the film, eitheroutside or inside the mould. Heating seems to reduce the formation ofwrinkles in the film.

[0016] The flange of the mould is considered to be the peripheralhorizontal region surrounding the cavity in the region of its rim. The“effective fluid surface area, A_(f)” is the calculated area of thesurface of the fluid in the open pouch under static conditions. The areaof the region defined by the sealing lines A_(s) is considered to be thearea of an imaginary plane resting horizontally on the mould flangewherein the sealing lines delimit the perimeter of the plane.

[0017] In preferred embodiments the first sheet of film material issubjected to a deformation of from about 20% to about 55%, preferablyfrom about 30% to about 40% in at least one direction during steps b) tod) of the process. Preferably, the first and second sheets of filmmaterial are similar in size (e.g., their dimensions do not differ morethan 10%, preferably 5%) under static conditions, e.g., when they arenot under tension. When the pouch is being formed, the first sheet isstretched but preferably the second one is not or is deformed to alesser extent. Therefore, after the pouch is formed and the vacuumreleased, the elastic forces acting on the first sheet are balancedbetween the sheets and equilibrium is established. This process givesrise to pouches having different geometry to that of the cavity in whichthey are formed. The final shape of the pouch is mainly determined bythe deformation of the first sheet during the pouch making process, theshape of the mould cavity and the shape of the sealing lines.

[0018] The deformation being defined herein as: (x_(i)/x_(f))×100;wherein x_(i) is the length of the film between two opposing points ofthe sealing lines before the film has been subjected to the vacuum andx_(f) is the length of the film between the same two opposing points ofthe sealing lines after the film has been subjected to the vacuum andbefore the vacuum has been released.

[0019] The deformation of the first sheet of film material under vacuumcan be determined by for example, drawing a grid on the sheet,subjecting the sheet to the vacuum conditions of the process and thenheating and cooling the sheet. The heating step is such as to transformthe elastic deformation into plastic deformation and after cooling thesheet will maintain the structure. Thus, the deformation of the sheetcan be measured by comparing the size of the initial grid with that ofthe final grid.

[0020] In order to achieve a robust sealing, especially in the cases inwhich the sealing is performed by means of heat sealing, contaminationof the sealing area by the fluid should be avoided. On the other hand,the level of the fluid below the flange of the mould should be as smallas possible in order to reduce the volume of air entrapped into thepouch. It has been found that an optimum sealing robustness/volume ofentrapped air is reached when the open pouch is filled to a height ofabout 3 mm, preferably about 2 mm and more preferably about 1 mm belowthe flange of the mould.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment the mould cavity has cylindricalgeometry and the region defined by the sealing lines has aparallelepiped geometry, preferably the footprint (when the pouch isplaced into the dispenser) of the resulting pouch is substantiallyrectangular or square. The majority of dishwashing dispensers have arectangular or square geometry, therefore pouches having those shapesare better suited for dispenser fit.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment the pouch includes a plurality ofsealing lines and sealing of the pouch is intermittently performed,preferably by means of heat sealing, by for example sealing firstly twoopposite sides of the pouch-to-be followed by sealing two other oppositesides. The second sheet is usually bowed to a certain extent during thesealing step. Preferably an anti-bowing step takes place during thesealing, this further reduces the amount of air entrained in the pouch.The anti-bowing can be performed by for example, air means, i.e., acurrent of air blowing downwards towards the pouch, or by weight means,e.g., a bar pushing the second sheet downwards. This bar should have anappropriate shape, usually matching the shape of the aperture of thecavity but slightly smaller, in order to maximize the amount of airevacuated from the pouch without establishing contact between the fluidand the film. Alternatively, the sealing can be carried out by means ofsolvent sealing.

[0023] The fluid contained in the pouches made according to the processof the invention can be in the form of a liquid, gel or paste. The fluidcan also comprises a solid or a multitude of solid inserts, such as forexample micro-beads, noodles or one or more pearlized balls.

[0024] According to a second aspect of the invention, there are providedpouches made by the process of the invention. In a preferred embodimentthere is provided a horizontally-formed fluid-containing water-solublepouch having a first and a second sheet sealed together (preferably bymeans of heat sealing) and a base length to height ratio of from about50:1 to about 2:1, preferably from about 20:1 to about 3:1 and morepreferably from about 10:1 to about 4:1 characterised in that bothsheets are stretched and under tension and the volume of fluid and thevolume of air contained in the pouch are in a ratio of from about 1.7:1to about 8:1, preferably from about 2:1 to about 6:1. These pouches arecharacterised by having a volume of entrapped air smaller than that oftraditional horizontal formed pouches while presenting a very robustsealing.

[0025] The height of the pouch is defined as the maximum longitudinaldimension, perpendicular to one of the pouch bases, when the pouch islying on one of the bases which has the maximum footprint under a staticload of about 2 Kg. The base length is defined as the maximum width ofthe pouch in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction underthe same conditions.

[0026] In another aspect of the invention, there is also provided ahorizontally-formed fluid-containing water-soluble pouch having a firstand a second sheet sealed together and a base length to height ratio offrom about 50:1 to about 2: 1, preferably from about 20:1 to about 3:1and more preferably from about 10:1 to about 4:1 characterised in thatthe pouch is formed by a process including the step of subjecting thesecond sheet to an anti-bowing step during the sealing of the pouch forpurposes of reducing air entrainment and the volume of fluid and thevolume of air contained in the pouch are in a ratio of from about 1.7:1to about 8:1, preferably from about 2:1 to about 6:1.

[0027] The pouches of the invention are also suitable for makingmulti-compartment pouches, either fluid/fluid or solid/fluidmulti-compartment pouches. The process of the invention can be used tomake only one compartment or alternatively it can be used for making thewhole multi-compartment pouch. Multi-compartment pouches are preferablymade by forming and filling a first open pouch and closing this openpouch with a second pre-formed pouch. This process is described in WO02/42408. Especially suitable for use in dishwashing are powder/liquidpouches.

[0028] There are also provided methods for using the pouches of theinvention for laundry and dishwashing. The pouches can be placed eitherin the detergent dispenser or in the interior of the machine. In thecase of dishwashing, the pouches are preferably placed into thedispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The present invention envisages a horizontal process for makingfluid-containing water-soluble pouches. The pouches produced accordingto the process of the invention contain an air volume lower than thatcontained in pouches made according to traditional processes. This isespecially advantageous in pouches having a high base length to heightratio, i.e., shallow pouches. The present invention also envisages theuse of these pouches for dishwashing and laundry.

[0030] The pouches of the invention can comprise any liquid compositioncompatible with the pouch material. These pouches are especially usefulin the field of detergency.

[0031] The pouch is preferably made of a material which is soluble ordispersible in water, and has a water-solubility of at least 50%,preferably at least 75% or even at least 95%, as measured by the methodset out here after using a glass-filter with a maximum pore size of 20microns.

[0032] 50 grams ±0.1 gram of capsule or pouch material is added in apre-weighed 400 ml beaker and 245 ml ±1 ml of distilled water is added.This is stirred vigorously on a magnetic stirrer set at 600 rpm, for 30minutes. Then, the mixture is filtered through a qualitativesintered-glass filter with a pore size as defined above (max. 20micron). The water is dried off from the collected filtrate by anyconventional method, and the weight of the remaining material isdetermined (which is the dissolved or dispersed fraction). Then, the %solubility or dispersability can be calculated.

[0033] Preferred pouch materials are polymeric materials, preferablypolymers which are formed into a film or sheet. The pouch material can,for example, be obtained by casting, blow-moulding, extrusion or blownextrusion of the polymeric material, as known in the art.

[0034] Preferred polymers, copolymers or derivatives thereof suitablefor use as pouch material are selected from polyvinyl alcohols,polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyalkylene oxides, acrylamide, acrylic acid,cellulose, cellulose ethers, cellulose esters, cellulose amides,polyvinyl acetates, polycarboxylic acids and salts, polyaminoacids orpeptides, polyamides, polyacrylamide, copolymers of maleic/acrylicacids, polysaccharides including starch and gelatine, natural gums suchas xanthum and carragum. More preferred polymers are selected frompolyacrylates and water-soluble acrylate copolymers, methylcellulose,carboxymethylcellulose sodium, dextrin, ethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, maltodextrin,polymethacrylates, and most preferably selected from polyvinyl alcohols,polyvinyl alcohol copolymers and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC),and combinations thereof. Preferably, the level of polymer in the pouchmaterial, for example a PVA polymer, is at least 60%.

[0035] Mixtures of polymers can also be used. This may in particular bebeneficial to control the mechanical and/or dissolution properties ofthe compartment or pouch, depending on the application thereof and therequired needs. For example, it may be preferred that a mixture ofpolymers is present in the material of the compartment, whereby onepolymer material has a higher water-solubility than another polymermaterial, and/or one polymer material has a higher mechanical strengththan another polymer material. It may be preferred that a mixture ofpolymers is used, having different weight average molecular weights, forexample a mixture of PVA or a copolymer thereof of a weight averagemolecular weight of 10,000-40,000, preferably around 20,000, and of PVAor copolymer thereof, with a weight average molecular weight of about100,000 to 300,000, preferably around 150,000.

[0036] Also useful are polymer blend compositions, for examplecomprising hydrolytically degradable and water-soluble polymer blendsuch as polylactide and polyvinyl alcohol, achieved by the mixing ofpolylactide and polyvinyl alcohol, typically comprising 1-35% by weightpolylactide and approximately from 65% to 99% by weight polyvinylalcohol, if the material is to be water-dispersible, or water-soluble.It may be preferred that the PVA present in the film is from 60-98%hydrolysed, preferably 80% to 90%, to improve the dissolution of thematerial.

[0037] Most preferred pouch and wrap materials are PVA films known underthe trade reference Monosol M8630, as sold by Chris-Craft IndustrialProducts of Gary, Ind., US, and PVA films of corresponding solubilityand deformability characteristics. Other films suitable for use hereininclude films known under the trade reference PT film or the K-series offilms supplied by Aicello, or VF-HP film supplied by Kuraray.

[0038] The water-soluble film herein may comprise other additiveingredients than the polymer or polymer material. For example, it may bebeneficial to add plasticisers, for example glycerol, ethylene glycol,diethyleneglycol, propylene glycol, sorbitol and mixtures thereof,additional water, disintegrating aids. It may be useful that the pouchor water-soluble film itself comprises a detergent additive to bedelivered to the wash water, for example organic polymeric soil releaseagents, dispersants, dye transfer inhibitors.

[0039] The pouches of the invention preferably comprise detergentauxiliaries or compositions. These detergent auxiliaries or compositionscan comprise traditional detergency components and can also compriseorganic solvents having a cleaning function and organic solvents havinga carrier or diluent function or some other specialised function. Thecompositions will generally be built and comprise one or more detergentactive components which may be selected from bleaching agents,surfactants, alkalinity sources, enzymes, thickeners (in the case ofliquid, paste, cream or gel compositions) and anti-corrosion agents(e.g. sodium silicate). Highly preferred detergent components include abuilder compound, an alkalinity source, a surfactant, an enzyme and ableaching agent.

[0040] The organic solvents should be selected so as to be compatiblewith the tableware/cookware as well as with the different parts of anautomatic dishwashing machine. Furthermore, the solvent system should beeffective and safe to use having a volatile organic content above 1 mmHg (and preferably above 0.1 mm Hg) of less than about 50%, preferablyless than about 30%, more preferably less than about 10% by weight ofthe solvent system. Also they should have very mild pleasant odours. Theindividual organic solvents used herein generally have a boiling pointabove about 150° C., flash point above about 100° C. and vapor pressurebelow about 1 mm Hg, preferably below 0.1 mm Hg at 25° C. andatmospheric pressure.

[0041] Solvents that can be used herein include: i) alcohols, such asbenzyl alcohol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, furfurylalcohol, 1,2-hexanediol and other similar materials; ii) amines, such asalkanolamines (e.g. primary alkanolamines: monoethanolamine,monoisopropanolamine, diethylethanolamine, ethyl diethanolamine;secondary alkanolamines: diethanolamine, diisopropanolamine,2-(methylamino)ethanol; ternary alkanolamines: triethanolamine,triisopropanolamine); alkylamines (e.g. primary alkylamines:monomethylamine, monoethylamine, monopropylamine, monobutylamine,monopentylamine, cyclohexylamine), secondary alkylamines:(dimethylamine), alkylene amines (primary alkylene amines:ethylenediamine, propylenediamine) and other similar materials; iii)esters, such as ethyl lactate, methyl ester, ethyl acetoacetate,ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monoethylether acetate, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate and othersimilar materials; iv) glycol ethers, such as ethylene glycol monobutylether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monomethylether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethylether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glycol butyl etherand other similar materials; v) glycols, such as propylene glycol,diethylene glycol, hexylene glycol (2-methyl-2, 4 pentanediol),triethylene glycol, composition and dipropylene glycol and other similarmaterials; and mixtures thereof.

[0042] Surfactant

[0043] Surfactants suitable herein include anionic surfactants such asalkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkylglyceryl sulfonates, alkyl and alkenyl sulphonates, alkyl ethoxycarboxylates, N-acyl sarcosinates, N-acyl taurates and alkyl succinatesand sulfosuccinates, wherein the alkyl, alkenyl or acyl moiety isC₅-C₂₀, preferably C₁₀-C₁₈ linear or branched; cationic surfactants suchas chlorine esters (U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,042, U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,660 andU.S. Pat. No. 4,260,529) and mono C₆-C₁₆ N-alkyl or alkenyl ammoniumsurfactants wherein the remaining N positions are substituted by methyl,hydroxyethyl or hydroxypropyl groups; low and high cloud point nonionicsurfactants and mixtures thereof including nonionic alkoxylatedsurfactants (especially ethoxylates derived from C₆-C₁₈ primaryalcohols), ethoxylated-propoxylated alcohols (e.g., BASF Poly-Tergent®SLF18), epoxy-capped poly(oxyalkylated) alcohols (e.g., BASFPoly-Tergent® SLF18B—see WO-A-94/22800), ether-capped poly(oxyalkylated)alcohol surfactants, and block polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylenepolymeric compounds such as PLURONIC®, REVERSED PLURONIC®, and TETRONIC®by the BASF-Wyandotte Corp., Wyandotte, Mich.; amphoteric surfactantssuch as the C₁₂-C₂₀ alkyl amine oxides (preferred amine oxides for useherein include C₁₂ lauryldimethyl amine oxide, C₁₄ and C₁₆ hexadecyldimethyl amine oxide), and alkyl amphocarboxylic surfactants such asMiranol™ C2M; and zwitterionic surfactants such as the betaines andsultaines; and mixtures thereof. Surfactants suitable herein aredisclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,678 , U.S. Pat. No.4,259,217, EP-A-0414 549, WO-A-93/08876 and WO-A-93/08874. Surfactantsare typically present at a level of from about 0.2% to about 30% byweight, more preferably from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight, mostpreferably from about 1% to about 5% by weight of composition. Preferredsurfactant for use herein are low foaming and include low cloud pointnonionic surfactants and mixtures of higher foaming surfactants with lowcloud point nonionic surfactants which act as suds suppresser therefor.

[0044] Builder

[0045] Builders suitable for use herein include water-soluble builderssuch as citrates, carbonates and polyphosphates e.g. sodiumtripolyphosphate and sodium tripolyphosphate hexahydrate, potassiumtripolyphosphate and mixed sodium and potassium tripolyphosphate salts;and partially water-soluble or insoluble builders such as crystallinelayered silicates (EP-A-0164514 and EP-A-0293640) and aluminosilicatesinclusive of Zeolites A, B, P, X, HS and MAP. The builder is typicallypresent at a level of from about 1% to about 80% by weight, preferablyfrom about 10% to about 70% by weight, most preferably from about 20% toabout 60% by weight of composition.

[0046] Amorphous sodium silicates having an SiO₂:Na₂O ratio of from 1.8to 3.0, preferably from 1.8 to 2.4, most preferably 2.0 can also be usedherein although highly preferred from the viewpoint of long term storagestability are compositions containing less than about 22%, preferablyless than about 15% total (amorphous and crystalline) silicate.

[0047] Enzyme

[0048] Enzymes suitable herein include bacterial and fungal cellulasessuch as Carezyme and Celluzyme (Novo Nordisk A/S); peroxidases; lipasessuch as Amano-P (Amano Pharmaceutical Co.), M1 Lipase® and Lipomax®(Gist-Brocades) and Lipolase® and Lipolase Ultra® (Novo); cutinases;proteases such as Esperase®, Alcalase®, Durazym® and Savinase® (Novo)and Maxatase®, Maxacal®, Properase® and Maxapem® (Gist-Brocades); α andβ amylases such as Purafect Ox Am® (Genencor) and Termamyl®, Ban®,Fungamyl®, Duramyl®, and Natalase® (Novo); pectinases; and mixturesthereof. Enzymes are preferably added herein as prills, granulates, orcogranulates at levels typically in the range from about 0.0001 % toabout 2% pure enzyme by weight of composition.

[0049] Bleaching Agent

[0050] Bleaching agents suitable herein include chlorine and oxygenbleaches, especially inorganic perhydrate salts such as sodium perboratemono-and tetrahydrates and sodium percarbonate optionally coated toprovide controlled rate of release (see, for example, GB-A-1466799 onsulfate/carbonate coatings), preformed organic peroxyacids and mixturesthereof with organic peroxyacid bleach precursors and/or transitionmetal-containing bleach catalysts (especially manganese or cobalt).Inorganic perhydrate salts are typically incorporated at levels in therange from about 1% to about 40% by weight, preferably from about 2% toabout 30% by weight and more preferably from abut 5% to about 25% byweight of composition. Peroxyacid bleach precursors preferred for useherein include precursors of perbenzoic acid and substituted perbenzoicacid; cationic peroxyacid precursors; peracetic acid precursors such asTAED, sodium acetoxybenzene sulfonate and pentaacetylglucose;pernonanoic acid precursors such as sodium3,5,5-trimethylhexanoyloxybenzene sulfonate (iso-NOBS) and sodiumnonanoyloxybenzene sulfonate (NOBS); amide substituted alkyl peroxyacidprecursors (EP-A-0170386); and benzoxazin peroxyacid precursors(EP-A-0332294 and EP-A-0482807). Bleach precursors are typicallyincorporated at levels in the range from about 0.5% to about 25%,preferably from about 1% to about 10% by weight of composition while thepreformed organic peroxyacids themselves are typically incorporated atlevels in the range from 0.5% to 25% by weight, more preferably from 1%to 10% by weight of composition. Bleach catalysts preferred for useherein include the manganese triazacyclononane and related complexes(U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,612, U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,084); Co, Cu, Mn and Febispyridylamine and related complexes (U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,611); andpentamine acetate cobalt(III) and related complexes(U.S. Pat. No.4,810,410).

[0051] Low Cloud Point Non-Ionic Surfactants and Suds Suppressers

[0052] The suds suppressers suitable for use herein include nonionicsurfactants having a low cloud point. “Cloud point”, as used herein, isa well known property of nonionic surfactants which is the result of thesurfactant becoming less soluble with increasing temperature, thetemperature at which the appearance of a second phase is observable isreferred to as the “cloud point” (See Kirk Othmer, pp. 360-362). As usedherein, a “low cloud point” nonionic surfactant is defined as a nonionicsurfactant system ingredient having a cloud point of less than 30° C.,preferably less than about 20° C., and even more preferably less thanabout 10° C., and most preferably less than about 7.5° C. Typical lowcloud point nonionic surfactants include nonionic alkoxylatedsurfactants, especially ethoxylates derived from primary alcohol, andpolyoxypropylene/polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene (PO/EO/PO) reverseblock polymers. Also, such low cloud point nonionic surfactants include,for example, ethoxylated-propoxylated alcohol (e.g., BASF Poly-Tergent®SLF18) and epoxy-capped poly(oxyalkylated) alcohols (e.g., BASFPoly-Tergent® SLF18B series of nonionics, as described, for example, inU.S. Pat. No. 5,576,281).

[0053] Preferred low cloud point surfactants are the ether-cappedpoly(oxyalkylated) suds suppresser having the formula:

[0054] wherein R¹ is a linear, alkyl hydrocarbon having an average offrom about 7 to about 12 carbon atoms, R² is a linear, alkyl hydrocarbonof about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, R³ is a linear, alkyl hydrocarbon ofabout 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, x is an integer of about 1 to about 6,y is an integer of about 4 to about 15, and z is an integer of about 4to about 25.

[0055] Other low cloud point nonionic surfactants are the ether-cappedpoly(oxyalkylated) having the formula:

R_(I)O(R_(II)O)_(n)CH(CH₃)OR_(III)

[0056] wherein, R₁ is selected from the group consisting of linear orbranched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted,aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radicals having from about 7 to about12 carbon atoms; R_(II) may be the same or different, and isindependently selected from the group consisting of branched or linearC₂ to C₇ alkylene in any given molecule; n is a number from 1 to about30; and R_(III) is selected from the group consisting of:

[0057] (i) a 4 to 8 membered substituted, or unsubstituted heterocyclicring containing from 1 to 3 hetero atoms; and

[0058] (ii) linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted orunsubstituted, cyclic or acyclic, aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbonradicals having from about 1 to about 30 carbon atoms;

[0059] (b) provided that when R² is (ii) then either: (A) at least oneof R¹ is other than C₂ to C₃ alkylene; or (B) R² has from 6 to 30 carbonatoms, and with the further proviso that when R² has from 8 to 18 carbonatoms, R is other than C₁ to C₅ alkyl.

[0060] Other suitable components herein include organic polymers havingdispersant, anti-redeposition, soil release or other detergencyproperties invention in levels of from about 0.1% to about 30%,preferably from about 0.5% to about 15%, most preferably from about 1%to about 10% by weight of composition. Preferred anti-redepositionpolymers herein include acrylic acid containing polymers such as SokalanPA30, PA20, PA15, PA10 and Sokalan CP10 (BASF GmbH), Acusol 45N, 480N,460N (Rohm and Haas), acrylic acid/maleic acid copolymers such asSokalan CP5 and acrylic/methacrylic copolymers. Preferred soil releasepolymers herein include alkyl and hydroxyalkyl celluloses (U.S. Pat. No.4,000,093), polyoxyethylenes, polyoxypropylenes and copolymers thereof,and nonionic and anionic polymers based on terephthalate esters ofethylene glycol, propylene glycol and mixtures thereof.

[0061] Heavy metal sequestrants and crystal growth inhibitors aresuitable for use herein in levels generally from about 0.005% to about20%, preferably from about 0.1% to about 10%, more preferably from about0.25% to about 7.5% and most preferably from about 0.5% to about 5% byweight of composition, for example diethylenetriamine penta (methylenephosphonate), ethylenediamine tetra(methylene phosphonate)hexamethylenediamine tetra(methylene phosphonate), ethylenediphosphonate, hydroxy-ethylene-1,1-diphosphonate, nitrilotriacetate,ethylenediaminotetracetate, ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinate in theirsalt and free acid forms.

[0062] The compositions herein can contain a corrosion inhibitor such asorganic silver coating agents in levels of from about 0.05% to about10%, preferably from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of composition(especially paraffins such as Winog 70 sold by Wintershall, Salzbergen,Germany), nitrogen-containing corrosion inhibitor compounds (for examplebenzotriazole and benzimadazole—see GB-A-1137741) and Mn(II) compounds,particularly Mn(II) salts of organic ligands in levels of from about0.005% to about 5%, preferably from about 0.01% to about 1%, morepreferably from about 0.02% to about 0.4% by weight of the composition.

[0063] Other suitable components herein include colorants, water-solublebismuth compounds such as bismuth acetate and bismuth citrate at levelsof from about 0.01% to about 5%, enzyme stabilizers such as calcium ion,boric acid, propylene glycol and chlorine bleach scavengers at levels offrom about 0.01% to about 6%, lime soap dispersants (see WO-A-93/08877),suds suppressors (see WO-93/08876 and EP-A-0705324), polymeric dyetransfer inhibiting agents, optical brighteners, perfumes, fillers andclay.

[0064] Liquid detergent compositions suitable for use in the pouches ofthe invention can also containe low quantities of low molecular weightprimary or secondary alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol andisopropanol. Other suitable carrier solvents used in low quantitiesincludes glycerol, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol,sorbitol and mixtures thereof.

EXAMPLE 1

[0065] Monosol M8630 (76 μm thick), PVA film, supplied by Chris CraftInc, Gary, Ind., USA, is used for making the pouch. The film isdelivered to the mould and anchored by means of a belt. The mouldcomprises a hemi-spherical cavity cut with a spherical drill of 14.27 mmradius to a depth of 8.89 mm (as shown in FIG. 1). The film is drawninto the mould by means of vacuum. The vacuum is applied to the film intwo stages. Initially a high vacuum of approximately 800 mbar is appliedto the film to form the open pouch followed by the application of a lowvacuum of approximately 300 mbar to hold the film in the cavity. Thedeformation of the film under these conditions is 28%. 1.9 ml ofdetergent product is dosed into the open pouch leaving 0.9 ml of headspace. A second sheet is placed over the open pouch and sealed in twosteps by means of two parallel seal bars (2 mm wide). The first step isperformed by seal bars having a centre-to-centre pitch of 38 mm and thesecond step is performed by seal bars perpendicular to the bars of thefirst step and having a centre-to-centre pitch of 34 mm.

EXAMPLE 2

[0066] Example 1 is repeated with the addition of an anti-bowing stepduring the second sealing step. During this step a finger locatedbetween the seal bars pushes out some of the air in the head spacebefore closing the pouch. This contributes to a further reduction of thevolume of air entrapped into the pouch.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vacuum-assisted process for making afluid-containing water-soluble pouch comprising the steps of: a) placinga first sheet of elastic film material over a horizontal mouldcomprising a cavity and a flange; b) drawing the film material into thecavity with vacuum assistance while maintaining the film under tensionto form an open pouch; f) filling the open pouch with a volume of fluidto define an effective fluid surface area A_(f); g) closing and sealingthe open pouch with a second sheet of film material along one or moresealing lines, the region bounded by the sealing lines having an areaA_(s); and h) releasing the vacuum applied to the pouch; wherein thevolume of fluid relative to that of said cavity and the position of saidsealing lines relative to said flange are such that A_(f) and A_(s) arein a ratio of from about 1:1.2: to about 1:5.
 2. A process according toclaim 1 wherein when said first sheet of said film material ismaintained under tension according to step (b), said first sheet issubjected to a deformation of from about 20% to about 55%.
 3. A processaccording to claim 1 wherein the dimensions of said first and saidsecond sheet of said film material under static conditions differ lessthan about 10%.
 4. A process according to claim 1 wherein said openpouch is filled to a height of about 2 mm below said flange of saidmould.
 5. A process according to claim 1 wherein said mould cavity hascylindrical geometry; and wherein the region defined by said sealinglines has a parallelepiped geometry.
 6. A process according to claim 1wherein the footprint of the resulting pouch is rectangular or square.7. A process according to claim 1 wherein said pouch comprises aplurality of sealing lines; and wherein the sealing is performed bymeans of intermittent sealing.
 8. A process according to claim 1 whereinsaid second sheet is subject to an anti-bowing step during the sealingof said pouch for purposes of reducing air entrainment.
 9. A processaccording to claim 8 wherein said anti-bowing step is performed by oneor more of the following means: air means or weight means.
 10. A processaccording to claim 1 wherein said fluid is selected from the groupconsisting of a liquid, gel, paste, and combinations thereof.
 11. Afluid-containing water-soluble pouch made according to claim
 1. 12. Apouch according to claim 11 further comprising one of the following: asolid insert or a multitude of solid inserts.
 13. A method of cleaningarticles using a pouch made according to claim 11, wherein said methodcomprises the steps of: a) providing said pouch; and b) delivering saidpouch to wash water.
 14. A method according to claim 13, wherein saidpouch is a multi-compartment pouch.
 15. A method according to claim 13,wherein said wash water is from dishwashing processes.
 16. A methodaccording to claim 13, wherein after step (a) said method furthercomprises the step of placing said pouch in one or more of thefollowing: the detergent dispenser or in the interior of an automaticdishwashing machine.
 17. A method according to claim 13, wherein saidwash water is from laundry processes.
 18. A method according to claim13, wherein after step (a) said method further comprises the step ofplacing said pouch in one or more of the following: the detergentdispenser or in the interior of a washing machine.
 19. Ahorizontally-formed fluid-containing water-soluble pouch comprising afirst and a second sheet sealed together and a base length to heightratio of from about 10:1 to about 2:1; wherein both sheets of said pouchare under tension; and wherein the volume of fluid and the volume of aircontained in said pouch are in a ratio of from about 1.7:1 to about 8:1.20. A horizontally-formed fluid-containing water-soluble pouchcomprising a first and a second sheet sealed together and a base lengthto height ratio of from about 10:1 to about 2:1; wherein said pouch isformed by a process comprising the step of subjecting said second sheetto an anti-bowing step during the sealing of said pouch for purposes ofreducing air entrainment; and wherein the volume of fluid and the volumeof air contained in said pouch are in a ratio of from about 1.7:1 toabout 8:1.